Burns Like Fire (Dangerous Creatures #1) (10 page)

Chapter Twelve

At first, Cindy hadn't taken their threats seriously. She
lived
with these two women, after all, for long enough that she'd thought she knew them. So she
thought
.

When they confronted her about Jack, after he'd left, Cindy was shocked to discover that Stephanie had been listening in on her and Jack speaking together in her room.

Then she'd gotten angry. What followed was a shouting match, and once Cindy started up, Stacy and Stephanie saw no reason to listen to her when she tried to explain that Jack wasn't going to be an issue.

In fact, they seemed to think that Cindy told Jack more than she really had.

"You let a
hunter
into this house! Are you that fucking stupid? Why would you tell him about us? Are you really that dense?" Stephanie demanded.

Cindy didn't like being insulted, which was why she lost her temper and yelled back at the other woman in the first place. "He's not a hunter! I didn't know that's what he was when I brought him here either! And if I did, then I still would have brought him because—"

"Because what?" Stacy asked. "Because he's different? Because he tells you that he's in love with you and that he's going to take care of you?"

"You don't even know what you're talking about," Cindy snapped. It irritated her that Stacy phrased it as if no one normal could ever love her. Just because they hadn't found anyone who would keep their secret didn't mean they had to act this way.

"I know you're every bit as idiotic as Stephanie thinks you are, and I think so too. How you've made it this far without getting caught and locked away really is a miracle.”

"I saw him," Stephanie said. "When you brought him in and when he left again. Very nice looking. Cute boy-next-door type. I bet he gives you all kinds of puppy dog eyes, too. Real innocent, never hurt a fly. And he's a hunter, making his country proud."

"I'm leaving," Cindy snapped, and she hoisted her purse over her shoulder and started walking toward the front door.

Stacy was the one to grab her by the arm and yank her to a stop.

Cindy looked down at where the other woman held her, and she felt her inner fire burning brighter.

"Let go of me," Cindy said, staring the taller woman in the eyes as she tried to be as threatening as possible.

Stacy wasn't a pyro, but there was fire in her eyes just then, and she gripped Cindy's arm tight enough to cause her real pain as she hauled her around and slammed Cindy against the wall. One of the pictures hanging there fell off, and the glass frame shattered on the floor.

The wind sailed right out of Cindy's lungs. "
Are you out of your mind
?" she shrieked.

Stacy's fist was hard and hurt like all hell when she punched Cindy in the stomach. It happened so fast that Cindy didn't even get the chance to warn her that she was pregnant, or protect her stomach, and Cindy was left coughing and gasping for air as her legs no longer worked to hold her up. She wanted to slide down to the floor, but Stacy held her up. "Jesus Christ, do you think this is a joke? Is that what this is to you?"

Stacy was in full on attack mode as her thin but strong fingers grabbed onto Cindy's hair, yanking her head back and forth before she slammed her knee into Cindy's gut.

Stacy got riled up and talked tough whenever she ranted about hunters, but Cindy never thought the woman could be this violent. Cindy coughed and gagged for air. "Stop," she gasped.

"These are our lives you're playing around with! I'm not about to get picked up by the collectors and dissected for you!"

Stacy slapped her that time, hard enough across Cindy's cheek that it burned as hot as her fire.

That was fine. She'd take a slap in the face over more abuse to her stomach any day.

"I—I'm pregnant. Stop, please, I'm pregnant," Cindy begged, keeping one hand over her stomach while holding out the other, as if that would be enough to ward off the other woman and her rage.

Stacy's eyes widened, but Stephanie was the one who came to Cindy's defense. "Jesus, Stacy. If you don't cut that out she's going to run and tell her hunter boyfriend."

"I barely touched her! Look at me, Cindy, you're going to be fine, okay?"

Cindy didn't feel fine. Her stomach was killing her and she felt all sorts of things moving around in there. Panic took hold of her body in a tight fist, and everything cramped up. "I need a doctor."

"All right, come on," Stephanie said, moving forward as if to help her, but Stacy stopped the other woman.

"Not yet, give me a second."

"Stacy, this is serious," Stephanie said.

"I know! But we have to do this. A hunter knows who we are and where we live."

Cindy shook her head. "He doesn't know. I promise he doesn't know anything about either of you."

Stacy had Cindy by the hair again, and even though she was no longer punching or kicking Cindy in the stomach, Cindy still kept her hands over her navel, trying to protect that precious spot as Stacy spoke to her. "Just tell me where he lives, and I'll get a doctor, okay? I'll drive you to a clinic myself and you can get that," Stacy waved down to Cindy's stomach. "Checked out."

Cindy shook her head. "I can't do that. I can't."

"Yes you can," Stacy said.

This time the fire really did come out of Cindy. It just burst free more powerful than she'd ever gotten it before. "No I can't!"

Cindy slammed her hands forward into Stacy's chest, and a ball of fire erupted right out of them. The force of it knocked Stacy into the far wall.

For a brief second, Cindy thought she'd set her roommate on fire, but Stacy was resilient and the fire itself didn't last long without Cindy to control it. Stacy screamed and slapped at her clothes until all that was left was trailing smoke and the smell of burned hair.

"Holy shit," Stephanie said.

Cindy and Stephanie stared at each other for several long seconds, both of them breathing hard.

Stacy's face completely changed as her rage took over. "You bitch!"

Cindy went for the door. She didn't think she'd be able to summon another fireball like that to defend herself with, and her goal was to just get the hell out of the house.

Cindy grabbed the doorknob, but the second she yanked it open, it slammed shut on her completely by itself.

Cindy looked over at Stacy, who was still glaring at her, showing off her teeth and everything, like some sort of wild animal, as she stomped forward.

Cindy put her hands back on the doorknob, but she couldn't even turn it. "Let me out, Stacy," she said.

Stacy just flicked her wrist, and Cindy was knocked back and away from the door. Another flick of the wrist and Cindy was on her back. She screamed, feeling that same angry fire rising up within her as the urge to defend herself and get care for her child took over every working brain cell in her head.

Cindy was doused with water, a lot of it, and the fire was put out, and she was left sputtering and cold.

She looked up at Stephanie, who had a guilty but determined look in her eyes. The woman had summoned the water with her gifts and put Cindy's fire out. "Don't attack my sister," she said.

Stephanie and Stacy had much more control over their abilities than Cindy did, and with a sick dread, she realized she wasn't going anywhere when that same invisible hand that Stacy controlled grabbed her by the hair and yanked her down the hall.

Cindy screamed the entire way, trying to grab onto anything that she could, but Stacy and Stephanie followed her down the hall, up the stairs, and into the nearest bedroom with her. The door slammed shut behind them, and Cindy was stuck.

Chapter Thirteen

Jack wasn't sure what to say about everything that Cindy had just told him. Twelve hours ago he wouldn't have believed a word of it, but now here he was, in bed with her, and she was looking up at him, waiting for him to give his two cents on what she'd shared so far. Every word that came out of her mouth was like gospel. There was no listening to anything else.

She looked like she wanted to tell more of the story, but she was biting her lip and waiting.

Whatever Jack was about to say was going to affect everything between them from here on out.

He opened his mouth to ask her more, to find out what else happened after the twins pulled her into that room and before Jamie could save her, even though he already had a pretty good idea of what she would say, when his phone vibrated.

The sound was so sharp and distinct in the silence that they both jumped a little.

"Jesus, fucking—" Jack cursed, and he turned over to his other side, reached to the nightstand where the damn thing was vibrating almost all the way off the surface.

Jack slid his thumb over the glass and put the phone to his ear. "What?" he snapped.

There was only a slight pause. "What the hell climbed up your craw?"

Jessica. Fuck.

"Nothing. You just caught me at a bad time," Jack said, and he rolled onto his back and rubbed his face.

He looked over at Cindy, and her eyes were wide with shock, probably at the realization that he would actually answer the phone at a time like this. She also looked like she wanted to punch him in the face.

Maybe he shouldn't have answered the phone.

"Oh," Jessica said. "Did the collectors come to pick her up?"

"No, she's still here," Jack said, looking back at Cindy..

Cindy didn't have to know exactly who he was speaking with to know it was someone who knew she was here.

"So why is it a bad time?" Jessica asked. "Is she somewhere safe?"

Cindy rolled on top of Jack and straddled him. She had to hold her mass of red hair behind her head as she leaned in and kissed Jack's chest, sliding her tongue over one of his nipples.

Jack hissed in a breath as his cock swelled and pulsed, and he had to bite down on his lower lip to keep from making too much noise.

"Jack? Are you okay?"

Cindy moved her lips and tongue lower on Jack's body.

"She's wearing a charmed shackle. It's fine. Where’s Ethan?" Jack asked, changing the subject quickly.

"He's chasing down a lead. In the same city where you picked up your pyro. Apparently this guy's been causing a lot of power shortages lately"

"Must be recent because I never heard about it."

"And I know you just tried to change the subject on me. What's going on?"

Part of him wanted to admit to her that he was having second thoughts about turning Cindy in, but even if Cindy wasn't sliding her tongue up and down the hard and throbbing length of his cock, he knew he shouldn't.

As much of a friend as Jessica was, she was still a hunter, just like Jack was, and just like her brother. Telling her would just make her feel obligated to do whatever she could to get Cindy out of his care as fast as humanly possible, and that was the last thing Jack wanted.

For now.

"I didn't change the subject," Jack said, and it took serious rock solid control just to keep himself from groaning, or hissing, or moaning, or letting out any of the pent-up pleasure that was building within him. "Just wanted to know where he was. If he was going to come over and help me out with this.
Ah
!" Jack said sharply when Cindy's fingernails dug into the flesh of his thigh.

She shot him a nasty look while Jack tried to tell her that he wasn't planning on passing her around to his hunter friends, all without speaking.

"What happened?" Jessica asked.

"Nothing, I stubbed my toe. Listen, I'll call you back."

Jessica hesitated before she replied. "All right. I'll call you later to check up. Actually, I'll get Ethan to give you a call. You need some friends to give you a hand."

She knows
.

Jack had no proof of that. He only had this feeling that scraped its teeth and claws against the inside of his stomach, but it was there, and he trusted it, the same way Jessica trusted her instincts.

"Sure, he and I need to catch up," Jack said, and despite how every single little thing felt like it was in turmoil, Cindy continued on what she was doing. She wet her lips and pressed kisses down the column of his hard cock, which was throbbing for so much more of her attention.

"Yeah," Jessica said, and Jack was so glad this wasn't a video call, otherwise it would've been even more awkward than it already was.

  When Jessica hung up the phone, Jack sighed and tossed it away. "Thank God," he said, giving Cindy all of his focus now as he watched her mouth stretch over his cock.

She went down once, nearly deep-throating him before she came back up and let Jack's dick pop free from her mouth. She smiled sweetly at him, the root of Jack's darkly colored shaft still in her hand.

"Who was that?" she asked.

Jack's pulse immediately raced, and it had nothing to do with how amazing it felt to have his cock stroked like that. It was more to do with the predatory gleam in Cindy's eyes.

He made a judgment call to not lie to her. At least if this was all garbage, a trick to get his sympathy, then he could still look himself in the mirror and be happy with the fact that at least he had made an honest effort.

"Jessica Frost, she's a licensed hunter and she knows you're here."

"I figured as much," Cindy replied, tightening the grip of her hand and twisting her fist just a bit.

Jack groaned, thrusting his hips forward, and his head fell back for just a second before he was looking back down into Cindy's eyes.

He was stunned with the fire he saw in her eyes. Literally, he could see burning flames behind that gorgeous purple color, and it was as beautiful as it was scary. Even with the shackles on her, her powers were still there, just under the surface, begging to be let out.

She was irritated about something. About Jessica?

"You sounded like you were close. Do you know her well?" Cindy asked, and she twisted her fist again, making Jack hiss and bit down on his lips.

He suddenly didn't think it was such a great thing for her to be handling his cock and balls while looking so dangerous, but if she was counting on him being afraid and clucking out a scared excuse, then he was going to disappoint her. In fact, he wanted to know what her reaction would be.

"We're ex lovers," he said, letting it out as bluntly as he could.

Cindy's hand stopped, and the gleam in her eyes was replaced with something a little more wary, and curious.

She sat up and brushed a lock of her curly red hair behind her ear. It didn't stay in place for very long. "Does she know about me?"

Considering Cindy had overheard Jack telling Jessica that Cindy was still here, he knew what she was really asking. "I told her you and I were together, and what happened after we broke up."

Broke up
wasn't exactly the correct way of putting it, since they never officially broke up at all, but it was better, and kinder, than mentioning the suspicions he had involving the fire.

Cindy looked down at her hands, which were on Jack's stomach. "So, she thinks I murdered your family then," she said, not really asking.

"I'm still trying to figure that out myself."

Cindy turned her eyes up sharply. "What? After everything I told you...you still don't believe me?"

Fuck, but it was hard to not believe her when she looked at him like that, it really was.

Either way, it was clear they were both done fooling around. There was no way Jack wanted to have sex considering all the things they were talking about now, and Cindy apparently felt the same way as she didn't put up a fight when Jack sat up, put his hands on her hips, and gently lifted her off of him.

He sat on the side of his bed and stared down at his hands. He contemplated leaving the room, just so he could pace around, or maybe punch a wall, anything to get rid of this buildup of energy.

In truth, he was trying to avoid that “kicked kitten” look on Cindy's face.

Cindy wouldn't be ignored, however, and she grabbed onto his arm tightly. "Jack! Answer me! You can't tell me that you don't believe me! Not after that!"

Jack got to his feet. "You can sleep in the bed if you want. I'll take the couch."

"Jack!" Cindy called, and she got off the bed as Jack reached for his phone and his keys, but he was out of the room before she could grab onto him again. He locked her inside, and he sighed when she began pounding her fists against the door, calling out his name and trying desperately to get his attention.

Jack leaned his back against the wall and he shut his eyes, listening as she called out to him, but he never answered her.

She'd be fine in there by herself for the rest of the night. His placed was locked down. There were bars on every window in his house, which was standard for the times when hunters brought their catch home with them, regardless of whether or not they had boxes to keep them in.

It was better this way, better that they both have some time alone to clear their heads. No sex to confuse everything: no talking, just thinking.

Jack sighed and rubbed his face. He wanted to believe her, he
so
wanted to believe her, but this could easily be a manipulative trick on her part. Hell, it most likely was a manipulative trick. He had to keep that in mind instead of looking at her with increasingly thick rose-colored glasses.

She'd been pregnant? Held hostage the night of the fire? And then they’d been separated because he believed a drastically different version of the events had taken place?

Shit like that only happened in the movies.

As much as he wanted to believe her, allowing his to feelings cloud his judgment so he could let her go would make him the biggest idiot in the history of time.

If she was telling the truth, and he used his angry and hateful feelings to cloud his judgment before sending her off with the collectors, then he was still the biggest idiot in the history of time.

Trusting her once had cost him his family. Trusting her a second time would have to be out of the question. Nobody got the benefit of the doubt anymore and everyone was a suspect. He'd learned that the hard way and he was going to stick it. Christ, he'd only started dating Jessica because she and Ethan saved his life by yanking his ass out of a nest of wild vampires.

Cindy stopped pounding her fist against the door. She must've thought that he left by now. The absolute worst part, however, was the fact that he could hear her crying on the other side of the door.

Would someone who was trying to be manipulative make herself cry even when she believed no one was there?

He had to go. Jack went into his kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. He looked around for a snack, but nothing looked appetizing, and he didn't feel like cooking. He only drank to the neck of his beer before he had to put it back in the fridge.

He could still hear Cindy crying.

Jack went into his living room and turned on the TV. He flipped through the movie choices on Netflix, but it was getting late and he didn't want to fall asleep to anything. Nothing looked good anyway.

Jack turned the TV off and went to the closet for a spare blanket. He stretched himself out on the couch and tried to make himself comfortable. He could still hear Cindy softly crying.

When he fell into that in between place between asleep and awake, he started dreaming about the things he could tell the collectors when they arrived and she wasn't there for pick up, because the deeper he fell into sleep, the more he started to dream about just turning her loose and being done with this whole thing.